Memphis, Musk and the Mississippi Delta
In this April monthly newsletter, I reflect on why the oligarchs are eyeing the South, details for upcoming events, including a REAL ID town hall and a "Bless this Mess" end-of-session variety show.
I spent last weekend driving through the Mississippi Delta—one of the poorest regions in the country and one of the most politically and economically neglected. We went through rural towns that once thrived as hubs of railway commerce and cultural exchange, where juke joints echoed with the sounds of traveling blues artists. Today, those same towns are dotted with Dollar Generals and hollowed-out main streets—reminders of what happens when disinvestment meets political abandonment.
While we were on that trip, I kept thinking about a big headline: Elon Musk is building a massive Supercomputer in Memphis. At first glance, it seems odd—why would one of the richest men on earth bring a piece of his tech empire to a region long overlooked by Silicon Valley?
And then I read Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor’s "The Rise of End-Times Fascism."
Suddenly, it all clicked.
The Mississippi Delta has always been a testing ground for the American experiment—from plantation capitalism and Jim Crow to modern-day austerity and deregulation. And now, with billionaires and private tech firms eyeing the South, it’s becoming something else: a live experiment in corporate-controlled futures.
Across the Mississippi Delta, you can feel the pressure mounting. Public schools are being defunded and funneled into private charter systems. Stripped of resources, local governments are outsourcing everything from surveillance to sanitation. Rents are rising while wages remain frozen, and small towns are increasingly dominated by out-of-state developers, Dollar Generals, and private equity landlords looking to extract what’s left.
This isn’t just disinvestment—it’s a playbook. State and federal abandonment, paired with corporate intrusion, has created a vacuum that billionaires and mega-firms are more than happy to fill.
Why the Delta? Because it's seen by the powerful as disposable but profitable, a region with a long history of exploitation, a low cost of doing business, and communities too often denied political agency. With weakened labor protections, gutted public budgets, and state leadership that caters more to capital than constituents, the Delta offers everything corporate giants want: cheap land, low wages, little oversight, and no resistance—at least, that's what they think.
But we know better. Because what looks like a sacrifice zone to them is, to us, a place of memory, struggle, and survival. And that matters. This isn’t a conspiracy—it’s a pattern. And we’re watching it unfold in real time.
We’re told these “investments” will bring jobs. But what kind of jobs? At what wages? With what oversight? And who benefits when AI becomes the tool that determines your credit score, your housing application, or whether a predictive policing algorithm flags you?
This is the result of decades of bipartisan failure: right-wing disinvestment, liberal technocratic tinkering, and Wall Street’s quiet takeover of public life. And it’s all unfolding in regions like the Delta—places they believe no one will notice, and no one will resist.
But they’ve underestimated the South.
Because the Delta is also the birthplace of resistance, this is the land of Freedom Summer, Fannie Lou Hamer, and generations of organizers who’ve fought for land, justice, and dignity. It’s where mutual aid wasn’t a buzzword—it was survival.
They want the Delta to be a model of abandonment. We’re going to make it a blueprint for defiance. I want to thank the Memphis organizers and elected officials fighting against the oligarch takeover, including Rep. Justin Pearson, KeShaun Pearson, Memphis Community Against Pollution, and many others.
Imani Perry states, “As goes the South, so goes the Nation.”
Aftyn
Legislative Updates
…entering the home stretch… thank God!
I’m not going to lie, it’s been terrible up here. Unhinged legislation that makes breathing almost a felony, throws people off benefits, and taxes them to death, unconstitutional bills that expand autocratic powers, including dissolving our independent Human Rights commission that has been in existence since 1963… what is happening in Tennessee is not normal.
I spoke to a close friend who is a Democratic legislator in the Republican supermajority state of Iowa, and he was SHOCKED as to how we were being treated here. I’m currently in my office listening to spa music to calm down after Republican leadership cut off debate on an anti-civil rights bill, of which 10 of our members had filed amendments… the sooner we get out of here, the less harm is caused to our communities.
We should be out of here by mid-next week. I plan to send a legislative summary after activities wrap up, as I need some time to process this session and what it means for this state and the people we love.
We, well, they voted to pass the $59.8 billion budget yesterday. I worked with the Caucus to file amendments that contrasted the supermajority’s priorities vs. ours. They were all voted down, but getting members on the record for when the 2026 elections arrive is essential.
Money to reduce the tax on fruits and vegetables vs. a bloated Attorney General’s budget, which is actively undermining our civil liberties
Money to fund our kids’ summer program, which our Governor declined to fund, instead of money for school vouchers
Money for Hurricane Helene efforts instead of a slush fund for pet leadership projects
If you want to learn more about our budget or have questions, East Nashtivists is hosting an online training session where I’ll teach folks Tennessee budget basics. You can register for the Zoom, which will be held on Wednesday, April 23rd, from 6 to 7:30 PM!
Helpful Links for the Legislative Session
See below for various information outlets to understand what’s happening at the Tennessee Legislature. If you have others, please respond to this e-mail, as I’ll keep adding them!
Remember, by clicking here, you can find easy-to-read one-pagers on my 2025 legislation.
You can view the committee schedules by clicking this link.
If you are interested in speaking on a House bill during the Committee process, you can do so 24 hours before the committee starts by clicking this link.
Please be aware that Committee Chairs have complete discretion over who gets to speak and may decide at the last minute that your testimony is no longer needed.
Do you have a child who wants to be “Page for the Day”? You can e-mail your House or Senate member to ask to put them on the list to page during a Floor session on Monday night or Thursday morning.
Senator Charlane Oliver’s The Senator’s Source e-mail: way more thorough and professional than my Substack 🤣… she’s doing it better than anyone!
Adam Shoop’s Substack Shoop.WTF, which contrasts different pieces of legislation backed by empirical evidence
Our grassroots organization, the East Nashtivists’ People’s Pulse, features invaluable insights from Michele Flynn’s Substack, who thoroughly highlights the latest antics
Keel Hunt’s Field Notes substack: Keel served under former Governor Lamar Alexander and is a prolific author documenting Tennessee politics
Announcements
EAST NASHVILLE — As the 114th Tennessee General Assembly finally limps to the finish line, join us for Bless This Mess: A Tennessee General Assembly Variety Show, an evening of satire, storytelling, and collective relief to celebrate making it through another absurd session. We’re gathering organizers, advocates, and anyone who witnessed the chaos for a revue-style night of superlatives for the year’s favorite moments and legislative session trivia to test your knowledge of this year’s political theater. Want to submit a superlative honoree? Submit it in the RSVP form. Thursday, May 8th from 6–8 PM at Love & Exile Wine Bar
INGLEWOOD — Join Senator Heidi Campbell and me for a town hall this Saturday, April 19th, starting at 10 AM at Stratford High School in Inglewood. We will have the REAL ID team on-site to support those in attendance on a first-come-first-serve basis. (If you do not have a passport, you will need your REAL ID to fly domestically starting May 7th.)
MADISON — My social work intern Casey is conducting a community needs assessment for her final project. Our team will be canvassing throughout April. If you want to get involved, this action is easy and an excellent way to meet other HD51 residents! Here’s the link to sign up with more information about the canvassing events!
In the Press
Grocery tax cuts compete for support in the Tennessee legislature
Tennessee bill shifts discrimination case oversight from HRC to the Attorney General
On The Go
Donelson Townhall
WELP, I didn’t take any photos because we were having such a fantastic time, but thank you to everyone who showed up and made the event a success, especially CM Jeff Gregg, who works so hard for his district!
Shadow Rep. Behn for a day… GREAT SUCCESS!
Tavarus Taylor shadowed me for the day. He attended committee meetings and joined me in conversations with other legislators to discuss policy issues. I enjoyed having him along, and I’d love for anyone else wanting a more inside look at the chaos of the legislature to reach out—we’d love to have you shadow for a day!
Committee Presentations
Presented the Tennessee Sexual Violence Survivor Act to the committee. A big thank you to Bailey Jones, who testified with her five-day-old baby girl, Lainey! The award for the tiniest and youngest advocate goes to Lainey! (See a picture below highlighting how much preparation I put into my bills and their presentations.)
Committee Presentations
My best childhood friend, Anna, traveled to Nashville to testify in support of a bill allowing family farms to create conservation easements, ensuring their existence and security from development. She did a fantastic job testifying! Could not be more proud!
Press Conference to Save Our Human Rights Commission
I organized a press conference with stakeholders to speak out against a bill that would dissolve our Human Rights Commission and move it to the Attorney General’s office—the same Attorney General who is actively pursuing litigation to roll back civil rights protections, criminalize gender-affirming care, and undermine reproductive freedom.
Storm Updates
A few weeks ago, severe storms swept through Tennessee, bringing high winds, flash flooding, and widespread power outages across the state. Several counties experienced significant damage to homes, businesses, and public infrastructure. As recovery begins, we must stay vigilant, support one another, and ensure people know how to report hazards and access help.
Below are essential safety reminders, outage reporting instructions, and emergency contact information. Please share widely and check in on your neighbors—especially seniors, folks with disabilities, and those living alone.
Never go near downed or sagging power lines. If you see a downed wire, sparking transformer, or any hazardous condition, it is essential to stay away and call 911 to report the issue. NES will be notified immediately to respond.
Should outages occur, please report them:
Call 615-736-6900
Text "OUT" to 637797 (mobile phone must be tied to an account)
Log in to NESpower.com or report it directly to the NES outage map at NESpower.com/outages.
If your house or property sustained damage, and it is safe to do so, take pictures before cleanup efforts and contact your insurance company. Complaint line for insurance: (615) 741-2218 or 1-800-342-4029.
Constituents are encouraged to contact their local emergency management agency (EMA) if they need immediate assistance and to report damage.
County EMA contact information can be found here: Contact Your Local EMA (tn.gov).
Community Spotlight
Shout out to this East Nashville neighborhood for rallying to oppose our country's oligarchic takeover and the policies passing at the state level. I love seeing constituents take matters into their own hands. Want to do right now? Follow their lead… get local and get visible!
In reply to David Hooven.
I have lived in Tennessee 8 decades and graduated high school and law school in Memphis. I have visited all 95 counties in Tennessee at least once and I know that there are many poverty stricken areas in Tennessee, west, middle and east. Additionally, everyone in the country knows now that Musk has no interest in bringing high paying tech jobs to poverty areas any where. If he did, he would have never illegally shut down USAID which supplied surplus food grown in America to poor people all over the world, including parts of the USA.
So what is Musk's real interest in building a Supercomputer in Memphis or somewhere in West Tennessee? The geography of west Tennessee from the Mississippi R. east to Jackson and north to Dyersburg and Union City is flat, open farmland with few industrial facilities. Additionally and most importantly, west Tennessee is the home of the largest deep water aquifer east of the Mississippi River and possibly the nation. It stretches from just west of the Tennessee River to UNDER the Mississippi River into Arkansas, and lays under more than 300 ft. of thick clay overburden, with only a few areas more shallow. It has supplied all of west Tennessee cities, towns and farmers pure, clean drinking water for more than 100 years. The depth of the aquifer is speculated but not known exactly. Also, the area contains numerous surface streams and small rivers, all of which flow into the Mississippi R.
How many thousand gallons of water will a Supercomputer facility require daily? How many gallons of wastewater will be discharged daily into surface streams and what chemicals will that discharge contain? What kind of pretreatment will be required before discharge? Will TDEC be allowed to regulate the discharge of wastewater and air particulates without interference from our governor and republican supermajority in the state legislature; or will Musk call on his teddy bear buddy in the WH to make sure he gets permits pronto without public hearing and comment? Will Musk allow community involvement in decisions that will impact the community around the facility; maybe a stakeholder committee? Lots of questions about the chosen site for this Supercomputer.
Now, what about those "hundreds of jobs", Mr. Hooven? What kind of jobs? Do you really think we country boy Tennesseans are so naive to believe that Musk will hire local Tennesseans for high tech jobs or managerial jobs? NO! He will bring those jobs into Tennessee from other places, maybe his other companies and fill janitorial, truck drivers, dock workers, secretaries, receptionists, yard maintenance with local hires for minimum wage or less if he can. And what about black, brown, women and other non-white applicants? He will bid the construction of the facility out across the country and some local workers, skilled or unskilled, may be hired for a short term, or maybe not.
Elon Musk has no interest whatever in bringing employment to a poverty area in the west Tennessee Mississippi Delta. His interest is making money at the lowest costs possible because he, of course, doesn't have enough! And the natural and human resources the area offers are enticing.
Joe McCaleb
short term, or maybe not.
You sure pack a lot of excellent information into your newsletter !!